


Obliged to Share

by theheartfalls



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, The Danielle is minimal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2013-03-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theheartfalls/pseuds/theheartfalls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a drunken night and a broken heater, Liam wonders how he ever slept alone at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The music was pounding through Liam’s apartment, turned up far too high with too much bass. Bottles littered the living room, empty chip bags piled up in one corner. Liam was honestly surprised any of them had made it into one organized spot, considering Zayn was moving all over the room. He was currently sitting on the kitchen counter, a nearly empty bottle of tequila in one hand and his cell phone in the other.

“Alright, alright!” Liam hollered over the sounds of some dirty rap song as he reached out to take the device. “That’s enough of that! You’re not drunk dialing.” 

Zayn started laughing at that, not even trying to stop him. It was the most lively he had been all day after stumbling into the apartment around three and claiming to have had The Worst Day Ever, grabbing a beer from that fridge, that Liam kept there for him especially, and drinking himself into the night. 

They were verging on midnight and he was getting a little more out of hand as things progressed. 

“Liam, where do you keep the vodka?” he asked suddenly, realizing he was running on vapors. His mouth was set into a pout as he asked, like a child who wanted to be sure to get their way. 

“You already drank it.” Liam reminded him, shaking his head as he pulled him down off the counter, wrapping an arm around him to steady him. “Along with everything else. You’re all tapped out.” 

The look on Zayn’s face was so far past disappointment that it was almost pathetic. “But I was just getting started!” he exclaimed in outrage, not resisting as Liam dragged him through the apartment. He didn’t even protest as he was tossed unceremoniously onto Liam’s bed.

“Oh, no. I think you’re done, actually.” Liam corrected, unlacing his shoes for him and slipping them off so he could climb onto the mattress fully. He looked him over a bit sadly as Zayn snuggled his face into a pillow. He had considered letting him take up residence on the couch, but he knew how crappy he would feel once morning arrived. The couch wasn’t particularly big and hangovers were bad enough. At least, what he had seen of them. “I don’t know what happened today, but maybe you’ll tell me tomorrow.” he commented, figuring Zayn was too out of it to hear him anyway.

“I’ll tell you later, Li. I promise.” he grumbled, far less chipper than he had been even twenty seconds previous. He slid his body under Liam’s comforter, adjusting himself for a while. As soon as he found a comfortable position, Liam heard him mutter, “You’re the best,” quickly followed by some soft snoring. 

He only snored when he was drunk. Liam knew that for a fact.

He simply shook his head, shutting off the bedroom light as he headed into the living room. He had changed into pajamas hours ago, not letting Zayn’s partying effect his night. He turned off the stereo and the silence immediately felt like a weight on his shoulders. It was almost too quiet, too fast. The soft buzz of the heater could be heard if he held very still and listened hard, but that was a small comforter. 

A part of him wanted to go back to his bedroom and sleep near Zayn, if only for the simple fact that it wouldn’t be so damn quiet. 

Instead, he grabbed a blanket from the closet and cleared off the couch, looking around at his mess of a living room as he made himself a makeshift bed. He had some heavy duty cleaning to do, and he considered going ahead and trying to tackle the grape juice stain that was forming by the entertainment center, but he was feeling extra drowsy now that he was no longer being forced to babysit his friend. Instead, he shut all the lights off so he couldn’t see the disaster Zayn had left in his wake and he curled up in a ball on the couch, praying he’d at least get a little sleep tonight.

Liam’s next moment of awareness was that he was freezing. He had curled into himself so tightly that he could feel it would be stiff and uncomfortable to move, and the blanket was pulled tight around him, though completely useless. He could feel himself shaking softly, his teeth actually chattering. He hadn’t even been aware that could happen in real life. 

It took everything he had in him to uncurl himself from the tight ball he had created, shivering tremendously as he stood up from the couch, blanket wrapped tight around his shoulders, to check the heater. Though the switch was flipped to on and it was turned up, there was no longer a noise, gentle hum or otherwise, coming from the heating unit. He was no maintenance man, but he had a feeling that was a bad sign.

“Li?” 

The voice was low and tired, cracking a little, and he jumped as soon as he heard it. It had been so silent, he had forgotten that he wasn’t alone in his apartment. 

Turning around, he found Zayn standing in his bedroom doorway, comforter wrapped around his shoulders. At some point in the night, he had stripped down to just his boxers. His hair was a violent, tangled mess and his eyes were barely slits as he rubbed at his jaw tiredly. 

“I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Liam told him immediately, his voice apologetic. 

“Not you.” Zayn mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around his body, and Liam was grateful because it covered his bare torso. He wasn’t usually one to stare, but had Zayn been working out more? 

“Heaters busted.” he commented, because he had let the silence stretch for too long for his own comfort. Zayn had the presence of mind to actually snort at the obvious statement, though he immediately flinched. “Do you want some aspirin or something?” Liam asked, because he was obviously in pain. 

“What I want,” Zayn started, leaning against the door frame for support now, “Is for you to come in here and lie down, because it’s fucking freezing.” he finished, stepping back into the bedroom then. 

Liam hesitated, but the very idea of going back to the couch with his one blanket when Zayn’s warmth and comforter were within reach and accessible was far too disappointing. He followed him after a second, shutting the door behind himself. Zayn had already re-situated himself on the bed, but there was more open space next to him then when he had first gone to sleep. 

Liam sat gingerly on the bed, thinking he might already be asleep again, but as soon as the mattress dipped down, Zayn held his arm out, making room under the covers for Liam to fit in. Liam, for his part, draped his blanket over Zayn first for added warmth. He slid himself under the comforter after that, making sure to leave space between them so they weren’t actually touching, but close enough to feel each other’s body heat. 

That didn’t seem to be enough for Zayn. As soon as Liam made himself comfortable, he wiggled his way closer. Liam felt a hand grip the fabric of his shirt, making a fist to hold onto as he pulled their bodies together. 

“Zayn,” he started to protest, but Zayn wasn’t having it.

“Just shut up and warm me up.” he demanded in an irritated growl as he buried his face in Liam’s neck. 

“You could have put your clothes back on.” Liam reminded him, but he didn’t pull away regardless. He heard a soft half chuckle from Zayn but that was the only response his statement got. 

After a moment, Liam finally relaxed and Zayn took that as a sign that it was okay to readjust. He slipped one leg between Liam’s, locking their lower halves together. Liam always slept with one arm under his pillow, but because of the angle they were at, his arm was actually under Zayn’s head. He let his hand rest on Zayn’s back, for lack of a warmer place to put it, while his other was stuck between them, pressed to Zayn’s chest. 

It was so much warmer than the couch. His entire body was melting into the embrace, the warmth almost seeping into his core. Every where he touched Zayn sent comforting waves of heat through him that were slowly lulling him back to sleep. 

The second time Liam woke up, it was because he felt too hot. As he came to, he realized he somehow ended up on his back, one arm wrapped around Zayn, with him practically on top of him. 

And he was unbearably hot. 

There was an awkward moment where Liam thought he could slip out from under Zayn without waking him, which only manages to do the opposite. They both froze, taking in their position for a moment, but then Zayn adopted this goofy, sleepy grin and let a soft chuckle escape and Liam knew it was alright. 

When Zayn smiled, the tension Liam didn’t even know he felt disappeared. 

“I should get my heater fixed.” Liam grumbled then, changing his mind about getting up, and instead wrapping his arm tighter around Zayn. This doesn’t seem to bother him and he snuggles closer, content to use Liam’s chest as his personal pillow. 

“Or I could just stay.” he chooses to respond, fingers skimming up and down Liam’s side softly for a moment.

“Or there’s that.” Liam agreed, because God knows he had no plan to leave the bed after such a peaceful nights sleep. 

 

They could blame the heater all the wanted, but later, Zayn would call it divine intervention.


	2. Chapter 2

That only lasted so long. It was the biggest lie of his life, because when Danielle came to visit a week later, he spent the whole night trying not to be too restless. He didn’t want to wake her, but all his thoughts were geared toward how the body beside his wasn’t the right shape or size. She wasn’t warm enough and she didn’t smell the same and it wasn’t that he didn’t want to sleep beside her, but he simply couldn’t.

That went on for four days before he cracked. They were sitting in the living room, watching one of the reality shows she liked so much, when her phone went off. “Is that El?” he asked suddenly, the idea coming to him quickly. He felt strange for trying to be sneaky, because it wasn’t as if they had ever had secrets before. It was a miracle he was even speaking correctly, with only ten or so hours of sleep under his belt. 

She glanced from her phone to him curiously. “No? Should it be?” she asked, confusion clear in her tone. The two girls weren’t best friends or anything, but they spent a fair amount of time together, especially while the guys were on tour. It was natural, since they had long distance relationships in common.

Liam shrugged a little, trying to play it cool. “You two just haven’t seen a lot of each other in a while.” he said casually, trying to turn this into a conversation. “I figured since you were both in the area, maybe you’d plan something.” he added smoothly, planting the idea.

Danielle was quiet for a moment, typing away on her phone. The show went on two commercial breaks before she spoke up. “I just figured this was our time together, and I really didn’t want you to feel like I was ditching you for a girls day before I had to leave again.” she confessed, sounding a little guilty. 

He smiled at her, kissing her temple gently. “I’m a big boy, remember? I have friends too. If you want to go shopping or whatever it is you two do, I’ll call up Niall or Zayn.” he assured her, though the uncertainty of who he would call was completely false. He already knew exactly where he was headed as soon as she left.

She was out the door in thirty minutes, her show forgotten by them both, and Liam was on the phone before it even clicked shut. It took Zayn three rings to answer.

“How’s Danielle?” he asked without preamble. There was almost a bitter note to his voice that had Liam scowling, but he didn’t comment on it. There was nothing to say, anyway. 

“Gone.” he answered, searching around for his keys. “I hope you’re home. I’m on my way over.” 

“Finally.” he heard in return, a sigh following quickly after. “Hurry, but don’t get pulled over. That’s wasting valuable sleep time.” Now he was teasing and it sounded like Zayn again, which had Liam relaxing as he headed out the door. 

“See ya.” he said quickly, hanging up and tossing his phone to the passenger seat. He didn’t speed, but he was so tempted, because a nice warm bed, Zayn’s arms and smell, and peaceful sleep were so close that he could almost taste it. 

As soon as he arrived, Zayn practically dragged him inside by his collar. “Wanna know how well I’ve slept in the past four days?” he asked quietly, watching Liam shrug out of his jacket. 

“About as much as me?” Liam supplied sadly, knowing there were obvious dark circles under his eyes. Danielle had even commented on them, but he had made up some excuse, like he needed a new mattress or something. He couldn’t even remember at this point, but she had bought it, so that was what counted. 

“Probably less. At least you’ve got someone next to you every night.” Zayn retorted, taking Liam’s hand and pulling him toward the bedroom. 

‘Not the right someone.’ 

Liam thought it but he didn’t say it, instead banishing the thought completely. It wasn’t fair to Danielle, when she hadn’t done anything wrong here. This was his problem, his cross to bear, and he needed to fix it. He couldn’t blame her for whatever it was that was making him feel the things he was feeling. 

Instead of replying, he took a seat on Zayn’s bed. In Liam’s room, there was a lightness. An airy quality that felt open and relaxed, like being at the beach or a park. Natural and breezy. Zayn’s room was the complete opposite. With dark curtains over the windows and dark sheets and furniture, his room resembled more of a cave. That wasn’t to say it wasn’t cozy. It was a calm dark, giving Liam a warm, safe feeling. Different from his preference, but still good. It reflected so much of Zayn’s personality as well, which was enough to make him appreciate it all the more.

“God, I’ve been waiting for this.” Zayn grumbled as he fell face first onto the bed, hooking one arm around Liam to pull him backwards with a muffled “hmph!” They both laughed quietly, adjusting their bodies into their prefered position; facing each other, foreheads touching, hands and legs linked. Zayn had taken to placing one hand on Liam’s neck, playing with his hair or brushing his finger across the skin of Liam’s pulse point. It was, without a doubt, the thing that would inevitably pull Liam under into unconsciousness every night. 

This time was no difference. Within minutes of getting into a comfortable space, Liam was out like a light. Zayn wasn’t far behind, and it was the first real rest either boy had had in days. 

Unfortunately, it only lasted five hours before the bedroom door flew open hard enough to hit the wall and bounce back. It awoke them so suddenly that Zayn nearly rolled off the bed backwards and Liam jumped violently enough to hit his head on the headboard. They both turned in unison to see a startled looking Danielle standing in the doorway, mouth agape and confusion in her eyes. 

Liam’s eyes flickered to Zayn, then back to her, and he immediately scrambled off the bed, hands held up in surrender, like he was expecting her to attack. “Danielle, wait,” he started, but she was already shaking her head and turning to leave. 

“Liam,” Zayn started, looking at him uncertainly. He didn’t know what he was going to say, but he had a few ideas. Stay, for instance, was at the top of his list. ‘Let her go. Stay with me. Come back to bed. Be with me. Please.’ 

Liam didn’t even look at him when he spoke, instantly running out of the door behind her, not even a glance or word spared for his confused and concerned friend.

But as Liam chased her out of the apartment, begging her to listen, his entire being ached to go back and forget it. To fall back into Zayn’s bed and hold his hand and pretend that his world was really that simple. 

“You weren’t answering your phone, you weren’t at home, and I was worried!” she snapped at him once they were outside. Apparently it wasn’t alright to fight in private; it had to be heard by Zayn’s neighborhood. “Clearly I was wrong, because you were just fine, weren’t you?” she continued, looking angrier with every passing second.

The longer she yelled, the worse he felt. He was ruining everything they had built together, having been together for so long. He was breaking her trust and if he didn’t stop this, he was going to really hurt her.

But God, he couldn’t stop thinking about turning around and just going back inside, where he knew Zayn was waiting, probably just as confused as Liam and Danielle themselves. 

He took Danielle’s hand instead, letting lies slip off his tongue as easily as if they were the truth, and he watched her anger turn to regret for making such serious assumptions about what she had seen. 

 

He honestly just wanted to tell her how right she was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the last installment. that's all folks! enjoy. :)

So it went for the next few weeks; 

Liam woke up to call Danielle first thing in the morning. She hadn’t been able to stay long after what had happened, so this was his reassurance to her. Then he would text her throughout the day when he had a moment to himself and his cell phone. Sometimes they would text for hours about mindless things, and it was always a good reminder of why he had fallen for her in the first place. She was easy to talk to, enlightened, funny, but…

She wasn’t Zayn.

He tried to ignore it as best he could for nearly two whole weeks. He had assumed that once Danielle was gone, Zayn would be back. They would fall back into their friendship like it was no big deal, turning back into near roommates like they had been before she had come to visit in the first place. 

Things never seemed to work out in Liam’s favor, however. To his shock, but mostly confusion, Zayn had been keeping his distance. If he could totally avoid Liam, he would. There were no phone calls being answered or texts being replied to. If they had to be near each other, Zayn refused to so much as look into Liam’s direction. 

He had tried to visit Zayn’s apartment, but he either wasn’t home, or knew it was Liam and refused to answer. As much as he wanted to believe in the first idea, his better judgement was telling him otherwise. It gave him a sick feeling in his stomach and he didn’t know what any of it really meant except he missed Zayn. 

He missed him so much that he had started drugging himself to sleep at night. He threw himself into his relationship with Danielle, pushing all his good feelings and bad feelings onto her and using them to fix whatever problems they have, even if it was all a lie. His longing to talk to Zayn was used as a device to make him want to talk to Danielle. He knew it was twisted and he didn’t want to force himself to want her, but he didn’t know what else to do.

So he kept pretending, kept his distance from Zayn as well, and threw himself into the music. They were writing their third album and he needed to be all in, or not at all. 

At least, that’s how he felt until Zayn walked into the recorded studio with Perrie on his arm. They hadn’t been seeing each other for quite some time and it caught all of the boys off guard, ruining the punchline of the joke Niall was trying to tell because he was so stunned to see her. 

“We’re bringing guests to recordings now?” Louis asked suddenly, looking over the girl with a bit of unveiled distaste. It was no secret in the group that some of them didn’t quite like her and, until a few seconds ago, they had all thought Zayn had joined those ranks.

“I’ll remember that next time you bring El to a video shoot.” Zayn shot back at him, not looking at Perrie as he spoke. She was standing back awkwardly, tapping away at her phone to keep from having to catch the eye of any of the boys who kept shooting her confused glances. 

“Big difference there,” Louis reminded him, a warning in his voice.

It was the first time Liam had really paid attention to any interaction between his bandmates. Usually he just kept his nose in a book or sheet music until they absolutely needed him, and then it was all business. He hadn’t even realized how tense things had become. It was like Zayn was on the outside looking in, rather than part of the group. 

“Let’s get to work, guys. Long day.” he piped up, because the tension was mounting and he didn’t want this tiff to turn into a full out fight. “It’s nice to see you again, Perrie.” he added, though there was a thick feeling in his throat as he practically forced out the lie.

Being the peace keeper was harder than ever suddenly. 

Unfortunately, his best efforts and Niall’s bad jokes simply weren’t enough this time. The tension stayed, Zayn and Louis separating themselves from each other for the entirety of the session. After an hour without much progress, Harry finally asked to call it quits. No one was on top of their game, watching the tennis match of evil looks being shot back and forth between their best friends instead.

Zayn was out the door, Perrie in his wake, without another word as soon as rescheduling was suggested. Louis was right behind him, Harry on his heels, leaving Niall and Liam completely alone and confused. 

“What’s going on with them?” Liam asked Niall as the door slammed shut behind the rest of the group. Niall looked over at him, a version of confusion mixed with pity in his eyes, and Liam found that he hated it. He didn’t want pity from his friend, he wanted answers.

“You’ve been so gone lately, I’m surprised you even realized it was happening today.” he commented as he shrugged on his jacket. “They’ve been like this for a week now. You and Zayn haven’t been talking to anyone and Louis is getting tense. Guess he finally snapped.” he explained finally, looking haggard and sadder than should be legal for the usually cheerful Irish boy. 

“Me? I’m here everyday! I see you guys constantly!” he shot back indignantly, but he knew Niall was right. He had been distant; present but vacant all at the same time. 

“You’re here, but you’re never really here.” Niall said morosely, fiddling with his guitar to avoid looking Liam in the eye. “Just… Maybe talk to Zayn? You’ve always been the voice of reason. None of know what happened, but someone really needs to fix this.” he concluded with a shrug of feigned indifference. 

That was the final straw for Liam. Seeing Niall so upset and knowing that he and Zayn were entirely the problem was enough to tip him over the edge from confusion and avoidance into anger. 

Whatever the consequence, he left the studio with a determination to find Zayn and talk to him, even if he had to bang on his door all night long.

Which is exactly what landed him outside Zayn’s apartment door a few hours later. He had been waiting in his car previously, feeling a bit like a stalker as he waited for Zayn to return home so he’d know he’d be there for sure. He had watched him pull in, park, and go inside, waiting a beat before following his lead up to the second floor. 

He wasted no time banging on the door without mercy. “Zayn!” he called through the thick wood, fist pounding hard. “I know you’re home, so open the damn door!” 

There was no reply and so he started banging again. “I’m not leaving until we talk! We’re tearing this band apart and I’m done!” he called to him again, not even sure Zayn could actually hear him. The banging, however, he wouldn’t be able to ignore. He was probably disturbing the neighbors, but he was too angry to care.

Still, he was avoided. “Dammit, Zayn!” he cried out, frustration mingling with hurt because how had it all gone so wrong? How had they gone from sleeping, entangled in each other, close and warm, to this? He didn’t even know what to call it, but it was messy and confusing, and a part of him knew it was all his fault.

He had fallen back against the opposite wall, sinking to the ground in defeat. He wouldn’t leave, he would stay all night if he had to, but his hope was gone. He could feel the spiraling downward already. They would continue to not speak, Zayn would continue to act out, Louis would get angrier, and one by one they’d leave. 

He heard a lock click and looked up as the door swung in. Zayn was standing there, still wearing his jacket and boots, looking just as he had when he walked inside. He hadn’t even taken his coat off. 

“Why are you here?” he snapped, anger in his voice that Liam hadn’t expected. He stood with crossed arms, taking up the entirety of the doorway. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he stared Liam down, and though he tried to conceal it, it was clear that somewhere in those brown eyes, there was hurt. 

Liam watched him as he stood, using the wall for support, because he was shaking suddenly. “We need to talk.” he explained, but the quiver has made it’s way into his voice, giving it a teary quality that he hated.

“What’s there to talk about?” Zayn shot back instantly, the muscle in his jaw twitching in agitation. “You’re with Danielle. We’re done. It was fun, but it’s over.” 

“What was it to begin with Zayn?” Liam shot back, finding his own anger now. He felt a sharp pain in his gut at being dismissed so easily. He didn’t even realize there had been a ‘them’ in the first place, but he realized suddenly that there had definitely been something. 

Zayn’s drunken night had set off a chain of events. It had been beyond their control, enlightening them to feelings they had been burying for so long. When they used to touch, it was there, but it was dull. It was repressed, buried, and easy to ignore for them both.

But it was still real.

A simple brush of their hands had always made Liam smile, but holding him had made Liam feel complete. Catching Liam’s gaze across the stage had sent off fireworks in Zayn’s stomach, but getting to really look into his eyes had formed a bond between them that was irreplaceable. Liam could try with all his might to pretend it didn’t exist, but they couldn’t deny simple truths. 

“If you can tell me you didn’t feel it, then I’ll shut this door and tomorrow at rehearsal, we’ll act like nothing ever happened. I’ll apologize to Louis and fake a smile and you can have your happy little band.” Zayn said finally, the traces of anger slowly disappearing from his face, being replaced by a sadness that made Liam squirm where he stood. 

He wanted to reach out, to hold Zayn. He wanted to wipe the frown from his face and reassure him that yes, he had felt it, too. He had felt everything and more in the last two weeks alone, not to mention their time together before that. 

“I’m with Danielle.” he reminded him in a broken whisper, eyes trained away from Zayn so he could speak without slipping.

It wasn’t a denial. It wasn’t enough to stop Zayn as he stepped out into the hall and grabbed Liam by his shirt, pulling him in so they were merely inches apart. “Tell me you don’t feel it, Liam.” he demanded before crushing their lips together in a kiss that was too hard and yet not enough.

Liam’s head felt light and his stomach practically fell out of his body as he grapled for purchase on Zayn, hands landing on his waist finally. He knew he was holding too tight, tight enough to hurt, but if Zayn had tried to pull away, he would have fallen apart.

Liam was the one to break the kiss, but they made no move to separate their bodies. Their breathing was ragged and Liam’s eyes swam with tears as he looked at Zayn. 

“Of course I feel it.” he assured him, feeling Zayn’s body shudder with the force of his relieved sigh. “I’ve felt it since the first night, when you made me get into bed with you. I haven’t been able to spend a night without you, Zayn.” he told him, unable to stop the confessions once he started. “But Danielle…” 

Zayn shook his head before Liam could even start the thought. “Not now. Tomorrow. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” he ordered, because now he needed Liam more than either of them needed to figure out where they stood. “Sleep with me tonight and we’ll worry tomorrow. Please.” 

He sounded so broken, so defeated, that Liam didn’t have a chance in denying him. He simply nodded, letting Zayn pull him into the apartment. He had no idea what would happen tomorrow or what he would do with the tangled mess he had created in his life, but there was nothing that could make him leave Zayn. Not now, and not ever again.

Things that had been done could not be undone, but they would find a way to survive their messes together.


End file.
